diff --git a/scripts/debian12.sh b/scripts/debian12.sh
index 6eb00d5..6e9245d 100644
--- a/scripts/debian12.sh
+++ b/scripts/debian12.sh
@@ -12,6 +12,21 @@ exit 0
 EOL
 chmod +x /etc/rc.local
 
+# install the ansible user
+echo '> create ansible user ...'
+useradd -m ansible
+
+# configure ansible user
+echo '> configure ansible user ...'
+mkdir -p /home/ansible/.ssh
+echo "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIH9H3XK4IaK2pd8xegsbCm0at70kCi33vYkHDccV3Iyn" >> /home/ansible/.ssh/authorized_keys
+chmod 700 /home/ansible/.ssh
+chmod 600 /home/ansible/.ssh/authorized_keys
+chown -R ansible:ansible /home/ansible
+
+# configure sudo for ansible
+echo "ansible ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL" >> /etc/sudoers.d/ansible
+
 # cleaning logs
 echo '> cleaning logs ...'
 rm -rf /var/log/*
@@ -46,25 +61,6 @@ truncate -s 0 /etc/machine-id
 rm /var/lib/dbus/machine-id
 ln -s /etc/machine-id /var/lib/dbus/machine-id
 
-# install the ansible user
-echo '> create ansible user ...'
-useradd -m ansible
-
-# configure ansible user
-echo '> configure ansible user ...'
-mkdir -p /home/ansible/.ssh
-echo "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIH9H3XK4IaK2pd8xegsbCm0at70kCi33vYkHDccV3Iyn" >> /home/ansible/.ssh/authorized_keys
-chmod 700 /home/ansible/.ssh
-chmod 600 /home/ansible/.ssh/authorized_keys
-chown -R ansible:ansible /home/ansible
-
-# configure sudo for ansible
-echo "ansible ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL" >> /etc/sudoers.d/ansible
-
-# zero fill the disk
-echo '> zero fill disk ...'
-cat /dev/zero > /zero.file | exit 0 && sync && rm -f /zero.file
-
 # disable root login over ssh
 sed -i 's/PermitRootLogin yes/PermitRootLogin no/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
 
diff --git a/scripts/ubuntu24.sh b/scripts/ubuntu24.sh
index 7005f79..eb7374c 100644
--- a/scripts/ubuntu24.sh
+++ b/scripts/ubuntu24.sh
@@ -19,6 +19,20 @@ sudo -u root chmod +x /etc/rc.local
 echo '> grow disk ...'
 sudo -u root lvresize --resizefs -l+100%FREE /dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-ubuntu--lv
 
+# install the ansible user
+echo '> create ansible user ...'
+sudo -u root useradd -m ansible
+
+# configure ansible user
+sudo -u root mkdir -p /home/ansible/.ssh
+sudo -u root bash -c "echo \"ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIH9H3XK4IaK2pd8xegsbCm0at70kCi33vYkHDccV3Iyn\" >> /home/ansible/.ssh/authorized_keys"
+sudo -u root chmod 700 /home/ansible/.ssh
+sudo -u root chmod 600 /home/ansible/.ssh/authorized_keys
+sudo -u root chown -R ansible:ansible /home/ansible
+
+# configure sudo for ansible
+sudo -u root bash -c "echo \"ansible ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL\" >> /etc/sudoers.d/ansible"
+
 # cloud-init cleanup
 while [ ! -f /var/lib/cloud/instance/boot-finished ]; do 
   echo '> Waiting for cloud-init ...';
@@ -68,24 +82,6 @@ history -cw
 echo > ~/.bash_history
 sudo -u root rm -fr /root/.bash_history
 
-# install the ansible user
-echo '> create ansible user ...'
-sudo -u root useradd -m ansible
-
-# configure ansible user
-sudo -u root mkdir -p /home/ansible/.ssh
-sudo -u root bash -c "echo \"ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIH9H3XK4IaK2pd8xegsbCm0at70kCi33vYkHDccV3Iyn\" >> /home/ansible/.ssh/authorized_keys"
-sudo -u root chmod 700 /home/ansible/.ssh
-sudo -u root chmod 600 /home/ansible/.ssh/authorized_keys
-sudo -u root chown -R ansible:ansible /home/ansible
-
-# configure sudo for ansible
-sudo -u root bash -c "echo \"ansible ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL\" >> /etc/sudoers.d/ansible"
-
-# zero fill the disk
-echo '> zero fill disk ...'
-sudo -u root bash -c "cat /dev/zero > /zero.file | exit 0 && sync && rm -f /zero.file"
-
 # all done
 echo '> done.'
 echo '> packer template build -- complete'